Finding a niche is important in any industry, but it's
especially so in the $169 billion home-remodeling market. According
to the National
Association of Home Builders (NAHB), 1.35 million new
single-family homes are projected to be built in the United States
in 2003. "Remodeling is at record proportions," says the
NAHB's Donna Reichle.

To capitalize on all that building and remodeling, Brian Workman
and Paul Rodgers, both in their late 30s, found their niche by
launching Blind
Corners & Curves LLC, which specializes in making custom
window coverings for oddly shaped windows. "Being in a niche
is everything," says Workman. "Find something that you
specialize in that sets you apart." Founded in 1999, their
Denver business now has sales exceeding $1 million.

Reichle also points out another trend: consumers buying homes
with more square footage and smaller backyards. Mark Humble of
Living
Tapestries LLC in Northglenn, Colorado, has capitalized on this
trend with a line of vertical space-saving planters. The
self-contained structures resemble lattice-work fences and
accommodate vertical gardens.

Michael Strong, a member of NAHB and founder and vice president
of Brothers
Strong Inc., a remodeling company in Houston, says outfitting
homes with networks is a niche that's becoming broader and
broader. Capitalizing on this trend is Rick Akins, president of
FirstPoint Residential Communications Inc. in Wheaton,
Illinois. Akins has found his niche installing networking
components for computers and security and home-entertainment
systems.

The aging baby boomer population, wanting to grow old in their
own homes, is sparking another trend, the need for accessible
design. Cynthia Leibrock, founder of Easy Access to
Health LLC in Livermore, Colorado, designs home interiors that
are accessible for all age groups--although she targets baby
boomers. She installs items like reinforced shower walls that can
be outfitted with safety bars and designs rooms and door frames to
accommodate hospital beds and wheelchairs. Making homes more
livable, comfortable and even safer has created the need for
businesses like Dujardin Design Associates Inc. in Greenwich,
Connecticut. Founder Trudy Dujardin designs homes and offices with
a focus on environmental friendliness. Dujardin is especially
concerned about the problem of mold in homes. She helps her clients
design with materials that prevent such environmental health
hazards.

Consumers who can't afford a total remodel can look to
interior arrangement to make old things new. Interior arranging is
the art of redesigning the interior of a home using items a
home-owner already has. Lisa Billings, president of the Interior
Arrangement and Design Association (IADA), says the interior
arrangement niche is growing-her organization has tripled in size
since 2000. And while 30 percent of IADA members have added
interior arrangement to their interior design businesses, a full 70
percent have built businesses solely based on interior
arranging.

Whatever niche you choose, remember: Home is where the heart is.
And if you're smart, it can be where the profit is, too.